Package wire tying machine



Al lg. 14-, 1934.

W. E. WILLIAMS PACKAGE WIRE DYING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 14, 1934. w. E. WILLIAMS 1,970,441

PACKAGE WIRE TYING MACHINE Filed A ril 16, 19:52 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 14, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE WIRE 'rmc MACHINE William Erastus Williams, Palo Alto, Calif., as-

nalto Signode Steel Strapping Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1932, Serial No. 605,719

20 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of wire tying machines, so-called hand machines, which are light and easily shifted from package to package, and thereupon a wire end is placed in one side 6 of the machine and the body of the wire by hand is trained around over the machine and around the package and across to a gripper on the opposite side of the machine, from which the aforesaid wire end was entered, and a handle is then oper ated by the operator and the wire around the package and in the machine, as indicated, is stretched on the package and the overlapped portions of the wire are twisted into a twisted joint, and the machine is then released from the wire on the package for an operation on another pack age, as desired.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with parts in section. Figure 2 is a side elevation, looking from the left side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, also looking towards the machine from the left side of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of the base frame pieces and also of the cam and gear wheel located above the main base frame. Figure5 is an end elevation of the left-side gripper. Figure 6 is a section through the twisting pinion. Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the machine, with parts of the machine in section, looking from the top of Fig- 39 ure 1. Figure 8, at the bottom of sheet 2, is a front elevation of the machine which shows a loop of wire at the base of the machine indicating wherein the package is bound.

Figure 9 is elevation transversely of the binding wire, showing the position of the wires as held at the left side of Figure 1, during a twisting operation of the joint.

Figure 10 is a section of line 10-10 of Figure 9. Figure 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Figure 9. Figure 12 is a similar view to that of Figure 9, but showing the righthand side of the machine as indicated in Figure 1.. Figure 13 is a section on line 13-13 of Figure 12.

Figures 9 to 14 inclusive show the position of the overlapped ends of the wires on each side of the twisted pinion or where the joint is made during the period in which the twisted joint is made. Figures 15 to 20 inclusive, are similar views to those of Figures 9 to 14' inclusive, but show the position of parts after the wire joint has been formed and the protruding ends of the wire on each side of the tied joint are cut 011.

Figure 21 is a perspective, view, partly in section illustrating the parts of mechanism involved in starting and stopping the twisting pinion mechanism. I

The machine is provided with a base frame plate 2, upon which there are upstanding posts 3, at the rear of the machine and similar posts 4, at an the front of the machine, and at the top portions of these posts 3 and 4, there extends a frame plate 5, having the front extending arms 6, which is secured to the top of posts 4, and rearward extending arms '7 engaged by the top of the posts as 3, and in between the frame base plate 2 and upper frame plate 5, there is mounted a cam and gear wheel 8, fixed to a vertical shaft 9, which extends above the plate 5, and secured thereto is a handle socket block 10, fixed to shaft 9 by a pin 11, an operating handle arm 12 provided with an operating handle 13, is adjustably mounted in block 10 by means of a clamping screw 14, whereby the leverage of the arm 12 may be increased or diminished as suiting the desires of the operator.

A complete cycle of operation of the machine is brought about by one revolution of the operating handle 13, thus revolving thecam and gear wheel 8 one complete revolution.

The positions shown in Figures 1, 2,, 3, 4, 'l and 8, and Figures 9 to 12 inclusive are substantially that of the commencement of 'an operation of tying a package and being what may be termed the zero position of the machine, which is the 35 position in which the machine is lifted of! of one package and placed upon another. In order. to handle the machine in the zero position, without having; to adjust it at the commencement of each operation, I provide a spring 15, best observed in Figure '1, which engages the under side of the handle arm 12 and holds it normally in position until the operator moves it, and the spring 15 bends under the handle and allows the operator to proceed with one revolution, whereupon arm 12 rides up over into the notch in the spring 15 on the completion of the revolution of the handle.

At thecommencement of placing the wire in the machine when the. machine is located on the package, the operator sticks the ends of the wire 16, see Fig. 1, through a gripper block 17, composed of the lower piece fastened by screws 18 to a swinging arm 19, and the gripper block 1'1 is provided with an upper block 20, also fastened by the screws 18 to block 17 and to the arm 19. The gripper blocks 1'7 and 20 amount to one block when fastened together, but are provided with what might be termed a clearance hole 21, for the wire, See Fig. 5, and this clearance hole 21 runs diagonally through the block and on alternate sides the clearance hole 21 is narrowed down to a tapered point 22, which acts as a binder for the wire end 16, as the wire is bent around through the holding mechanism and twisting pinion, as indicated by Figure 1.

The wire from the gripper block first passes through a slot 23, see also Figs. 9 and 15, and Figs. 10 and 11, in a movable cutter block 24, which is faced with a steel cutting edge block 25, shown in Figure 1, but not indicated in Figs. 10 and 16. The cutter block 24 has an arm 26 extending back to a hinge pin 27 in the side of the machine, and this block 24 is connected across by a yoke 28, see Fig. 8, to which is connected a movable cutter block 29, at the right side of the machine, having an arm 30 hinged at 31 to the right side of the machine. The yoke 28 has fixed thereto a block 32, see Fig. 8, which carries a pin 33, on which is mounted a cam roller 34, which cam roller is engaged by a cam block 35, on the cam and gear wheel 8. Thus by the cam block 35, the, cutter blocks 24 and 29 are raised as desired for cutting oil the wire ends after the joint is made. On the inside of the cutter blocks'24 and 29, there are fixed blocks 36, which have slots corresponding to slots 23 in the blocks 24 and 29. The blocks 36 are fastened to the base plate of the machine, and as indicated in Fig. 1, they are provided with hardened steel cutting faces 37, but these plates 37 are not indicated in Figs. 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19 and 20, these not being shown in these figures for clearness of illustration.

The wire from the gripper 17 is trained around through the slots 23 and through a slot 38 in the twisting pinion 39, and this wire as trained through slots is indicated in Fig. 1, as 40. It then passes down around the package 41, as shown by Fig. 8, and this wire after being passed around the package, comes back into the slots 23, as indicated by 42 in Figs. 1 and 8, and passes around through to gripper at the right of the machine from which the body of the wire comes from the coil 43, Fig. 8. At the right of the machine this part of the wire 43 is passed through a gripper having a fixed block 44 and a swinging block 45, the latter being hinged on a pin 46 and being pressed to engagement with the block 44, by spring 47, the block 44 and the spring 47 being fixed to a swinging arm 48.

The wire 42 is placed into gripper block 44 by being pressed against the swinging block 45, to give clearance between the fixed portion 44, to permit the entry of the wire underneath the lip 49 on the block 45, and when so placed under the lip 49, and in between the teeth of blocks 44 and 45, the wire is then held in the gripper at the right of the machine.

The arms 19 and 48 are hinged over the posts 3 and have extending arms 50, upon which are hinged blocks 51, to which there are fixed rods 52, which pass through corresponding hinged blocks 53, on bell crank arm 54, which are also hinged on posts 3 and have arms 55 and 56, which are engaged by pin 57 upon which is mounted a cam roller 58 which is engaged by cam slot 59 in the cam gear wheel 8.

Upon the rods 52 there are springs 60, adjusted by nuts 61, to bring together the blocks 51 of the arms 50, which are a part of the arms 19 and 48, by spring pressure of the spring 60. Thus as the cam and gear wheel 8 is revolved in cam track 59 in the direction of the arrow "a Fig. 4, the cam track 59 draws the cam roller 58 towards the center of the cam gear wheel 8, and that results in spreading the right and left grippersapart, which thus draws the wire tightly on the package, the amount of tension being limited by the springs 60.

The portion of the cam track 59 which draws in the cam roller 58 to produce a tension on the wire, merges into the neutral portion of the cam track 59, wherein no further stretch of the wire or spreading of the arms 19 and 48 takes place. At this point in the cycle of the machine a big tooth 62, indicated in dotted line in Fig. 4, and in full line in Fig. 21, which is mounted on the main cam and gear wheel 8, engages the big tooth 63 on a shaft 64, which carries a beveled pinion 65, which is engaged at the proper time by a set of mutilated gear teeth 66 on the lower side of the cam and gear wheel 8. The mutilated gear teeth 66 are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Thus the beveled gear '65 is revolved rthree times, as desired, by the mutilated gear teeth 66. there is mounted 'abeveled pinion 67, which engages and drives the slotted pinion 39, above mentioned.

The shaft 64 is mounted in bearing blocks 68 and 69 in the base plate 2 of the machine, and the slotted pinion 39 is supported in a bearing block 70, likewise slotted to permit the entrance of the wires to the slot 38' of the twisting pinion 39.

On the completion of a revolution of the beveled gear 65 by the mutilated gear teeth 66, the desired number of times, the pinion 65 is brought to a sudden stop by means of the segmental block 71 on the shaft 64, which block thus comes in contact with the mutilated flat projection 72, see Fig. 21, which projection is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. The projection 72 is wanting in the segment of the cam and gear wheel and in which the gear teeth 68 115 are located, and likewise the gear teeth 66 are wanting in the segment in which the projection 72 is located.

In the region of the gear teeth 66 there is a clearance space for the free revolution of the big tooth 63. The purpose of the big tooth is to take the shock of starting the pinion 65 into the mutilated gear teeth 66, in proper register at each cycle of operation. After the twisting pinion 39 has about completed a joint, and just before the cam track 59 brings back the arms 19 and 48 to neutral position, being that of Fig. 1, the cam block 35 lifts the roller 34, lifting up the yoke 28,-in which movement the cutter blocks 24 lift up, and at the left side of the machine cut the wire ends 16 asunder from that portion wherein the twisted joint is made.

The body of the wire 42, see Fig. l5, passes into a little aperture which prevents its being cut at the left side of the machine, whereas on the right side of the machine, as indicated by Fig. 18, the body of the wire 42 is cut, leaving the portion 40, which extends down to the package, to drop into the little notch provided in the cutter block, as indicated by Fig. 18. Thereupon, on the final completion of a single revolution of the operating handle 13, the complete tie is made, forming the twisted joint of the overlapped ends between the blocks 36 at each side of the twisting pinion 39, in a manner common to twisted Joints of wire tie used in the art.

On the completion of the cutting of the wires. the cam block 35 is so shaped that it allows gravity to drop down the yoke 28, to normal position. See Figs. 9 and 12.

Upon the outer end of the shaft 84' What I claim is:-

l. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel mounted to'be revolved in a horizontal plane, wire grippers on each side of the machine, swinging arms upon which said grippers are mounted, bell crank levers connected to said swinging arms and adapted to move the same, spring connections between the said bell crank lever arms and the said swinging arms, a cam track located in the said cam and gear wheel and adapted to engage and move the said bell crank arms, a beveled gear twisting pinion slotted to receive the overlapped portions of the wire, a beveled driving pinion adapted to engage and drive the said slotted twisting pinion, a beveled pinion, a shaft upon which said beveled driving pinions and last said beveled pinions are mounted, a set of mutilated gear teeth upon the said cam and gear wheel adapted to drive said beveled pinion, slotted fixed blocks on each side of the said twisting pinion adapted to hold parallel strands of wire from revolving upon each other, a yoke mounted to be raised and lowered by cam track on the said cam and gear wheel and said yoke carrying cutters adapted to cut wires on each side of said twisting pinion and slotted blocks in a manner to cut one wire on one side and to cut the opposite wire on the other side of the said twisting pinion, grippers located on each of the said swinging arms on each side of the machine and adapted to hold the wire and draw the same to tighten the wires on the package. I 2. In a device of the class described, a twisting pinion having a slot and adapted to twist the overlapped ends of wires placed in said slot, beveled gear teeth on said twisting pinion, a beveled pinion adapted operatively to engage the twisting pinion, a cam and gear wheel provided with a beveled mutilated set of gear teeth adapted to engage and drive last said pinion, a shaft upon which last said pinion is mounted, said shaft being below the cam gear wheel, and said cam and gear wheel being adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane.

3. In a machine of the class described, a cam and gear wheel mountedto revolve in a horizontal plane and provided with a cam track, bell crank arms adapted to be moved by said cam track, swinging levers, connected through springs operatively connecting said arms to said swinging levers, grippers mounted on the front ends of the said swinging levers adapted to grip and drawthe wire tightly to the package by the movement of the said swinging levers, a twisting pinion for twisting the overlapped ends oi wire having a slot for receiving said ends, and mutilated beveled gear teeth on the said cam and gear wheel for driving said twisting pinion.

4. In a device of the class described, a gripper for gripping the ends of the wire composed of a block having a clearance hole to permit freely the entrance of the wire through the block, said clearance hole being extended on both sides oi the said block to provide converging surfaces against which the bent wire is adapted to be drawn and become wedged.

5. In a device of the class described, a gripper composed of a fixed block, fixed to a swinging arm and having hinged thereto a swinging gripper block actuated to press the wire against the said fixed block and said swinging block provided with an overhanging lip adapted to extend over the wire and prevent it from disengagement from the embrace of the fixed block and the swinging block.

6. In a device of the class described, a cam and gear wheel mounted to r'evolve in a horizontal plane and having a cam track on its upward face, a cam roller engaging said-track, bell crank levers, one on each side of the machine and located at the rear of the machine, adapted to be operated by said cam roller, swinging arms, springs connecting said arms to said levers, wire grippers carried by said swinging arms, a set of mutilated gear teeth on the lower face of the said cam and gear wheel and a twisting pinion adapted to It): tclllriven intermittently by said mutilated gear 7. In a device of the class described, a gripper at one side of the machine adapted to hold an end of the wire, said gripper being composed of a fixed block having an aperture therein having wedge shaped surfaces adapted to receive the wire end and hold same by wedging engagement with said wedge shaped surfaces; in combination with a gripper at the other side 01 the machine having one fixed jaw and an eccentrically faced movable gripper jaw adapted to grip the wire in contact with said fixed jaw.

8. In a device of the class described, a cam and gear wheel revolving in a horizontal plane, a cam track in the said gear wheel, bell crank levers the ends of which are adapted to be engaged and moved by said cam track mounted on each side of said machine, vertically arranged posts upon which said arms are hingedly mounted, said bell crank levers being provided with rearwardly extending arms, a set of swinging arms also hinged upon the said vertically arranged posts, and springs connecting said swinging arms to said bell crank arms.

9. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, which is provided with a cam track, levers adaptedto be moved thereby, grippers carried by said levers for tensioning wire upon a package, gear teeth carried by said cam and gear wheel, a slotted twisting pinion adapted to be engaged thereby, a cam track on the margin of said cam gear wheel, a yoke, cutters connected to said yoke and adapted to cut wire on either side of said slotted twisting pinion, the last said cam track being adapted to 1engage and actuate said yoke to operate said cuters.

10. In a device of the class described, ahorizontal cam and gear -wheel, an operating lever handle adapted to swing in-horizontal plane and movethe said cam and gear wheel, means operated by said cam and gear wheel for making a twisted joint, means operated from said cam and gear wheel for cutting the wire ends and a spring adapted to hold said operating lever in initial position.

11. In a device of the class described, a yoke,

cutters carried by said yoke for cutting the wire on each side of a twisted joint made by the machine, arms carried by said yoke extending inwardly from thetwisting pinion and hinged at their ends, a cam roller on said yoke, a cam track on the said cam and gear wheel adapted to engage the said cam roller and lift the yoke to cut the pinion adapted to be revolved by said teeth, gearsaid teeth and pinion and a mutilated annular projection carried by said cam and gear wheel adapted to engage and hold in normal position said gearing which drives the twisting pinion 18. ms device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel mounted and supported on a vertical axis, a framework plate frame for the bed plate of the machine, an upper frame work plate mounted above said cam and gear wheel, and vertical posts connecting the twoplates together.

14. In a device of the class described, a base plate, posts jextending vertically up from the said plate, an upper frame plate mounted on the upper portion-of the said posts, swinging arms and bell crank arms operatively connected for tensionlng the wire on a package, said arms being hingedly mounted on two of the said vertical posts.

15. In a device of the class described, a set of swinging arms hingedly mounted to move in a -horlzontal plane, bell crank arms hingedly mounted to move in a horizontal plane, springs connecting said bell crank arms to the said swinging arms. a horizontally disposed cam and gear 1 wheel, a cam track carried thereby, and a cam roller mounted on said bell crank arms, and adapted to be engaged and driven by said cam track.

16. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, a cam track in the face of said cam and gear wheel, a

.on the package, a slotted twisting pinion driven through the medium of gear teeth on said cam and gear wheel, and means for cutting the wire on each side of the twisted joint and adapted to be actuated by the said cam gear wheel.

17. In a device of the classdescribed, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, cam tracks on one side of said wheel for controlling the tensioning of the wire and the cutting of the wire asunder from the finished joint, gearing on the other side of said wheel, and a twisting pinion adapted to be driven thereby for making a joint of the wire ends.

18. In a machine of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam gear wheel, means adapted to tension a wire on a package, means adapted to twist a joint in the overlapped ends and means adapted to cut ofi the wire, said means being adapted to be actuated by said cam gear wheel through the medium of cam tracks and gear teeth on the said camgear wheel, in one complete revolution of said cam gear wheel.

19. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, moving parts adapted to tension wire on a package, and adapted to be actuated by said wheel, means for twisting and means for cutting the wire end, the actuation of said moving parts, twisting means and cutting means being effected by a single revolution of said cam and gear wheel, and a horizontally swinging operating lever for actuating said cam gear wheel.

20. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, moving parts adapted to be actuated thereby to tension the wire on a package, means for twisting overlapping portions of wire, means for cutting the wire, said moving parts, twisting and cutting means being operated by a single revolution of said cam and gear wheel, and a horizontally swinging operating lever for actuating said cam gear wheel, said operating lever being acfiustable as to the length of its leverage.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,970, 441.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

August 14, "1934.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 50, claim 3, strike out the words "connected through";

and that thevsaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of September, A. D. 1934.

(Sea!) Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner o.i"l atenta pinion adapted to be revolved by said teeth, gearsaid teeth and pinion and a mutilated annular projection carried by said cam and gear wheel adapted to engage and hold in normal position said gearing which drives the twisting pinion 18. ms device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel mounted and supported on a vertical axis, a framework plate frame for the bed plate of the machine, an upper frame work plate mounted above said cam and gear wheel, and vertical posts connecting the twoplates together.

14. In a device of the class described, a base plate, posts jextending vertically up from the said plate, an upper frame plate mounted on the upper portion-of the said posts, swinging arms and bell crank arms operatively connected for tensionlng the wire on a package, said arms being hingedly mounted on two of the said vertical posts.

15. In a device of the class described, a set of swinging arms hingedly mounted to move in a -horlzontal plane, bell crank arms hingedly mounted to move in a horizontal plane, springs connecting said bell crank arms to the said swinging arms. a horizontally disposed cam and gear 1 wheel, a cam track carried thereby, and a cam roller mounted on said bell crank arms, and adapted to be engaged and driven by said cam track.

16. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, a cam track in the face of said cam and gear wheel, a

.on the package, a slotted twisting pinion driven through the medium of gear teeth on said cam and gear wheel, and means for cutting the wire on each side of the twisted joint and adapted to be actuated by the said cam gear wheel.

17. In a device of the classdescribed, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, cam tracks on one side of said wheel for controlling the tensioning of the wire and the cutting of the wire asunder from the finished joint, gearing on the other side of said wheel, and a twisting pinion adapted to be driven thereby for making a joint of the wire ends.

18. In a machine of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam gear wheel, means adapted to tension a wire on a package, means adapted to twist a joint in the overlapped ends and means adapted to cut ofi the wire, said means being adapted to be actuated by said cam gear wheel through the medium of cam tracks and gear teeth on the said camgear wheel, in one complete revolution of said cam gear wheel.

19. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, moving parts adapted to tension wire on a package, and adapted to be actuated by said wheel, means for twisting and means for cutting the wire end, the actuation of said moving parts, twisting means and cutting means being effected by a single revolution of said cam and gear wheel, and a horizontally swinging operating lever for actuating said cam gear wheel.

20. In a device of the class described, a horizontally disposed cam and gear wheel, moving parts adapted to be actuated thereby to tension the wire on a package, means for twisting overlapping portions of wire, means for cutting the wire, said moving parts, twisting and cutting means being operated by a single revolution of said cam and gear wheel, and a horizontally swinging operating lever for actuating said cam gear wheel, said operating lever being acfiustable as to the length of its leverage.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,970, 441.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

August 14, "1934.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 50, claim 3, strike out the words "connected through";

and that thevsaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of September, A. D. 1934.

(Sea!) Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner o.i"l atenta 

